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A Critical Forum on Media and Culture

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A Critical Forum on Media and Culture

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  • Camera Looks, Laugh Tracks, and TV Comedy
    Michael Z. Newman / University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

    Dr. Newman explores how the use of camera looks in sitcoms like Abbott Elementary serves as a comedic device that establishes a direct connection with the audience, blending old and new traditions of comedic performance to invite viewer participation and emotional response.

    Read more »
  • Advertising, AI, and the Political Economy of Media and Communications
    Matthew Crain / Miami University

    Matthew Crain argues that advertising’s integration into AI-driven media technologies, such as Perplexity’s AI search engine, is not driven by natural market tendencies. Instead, it results from systemic commodification and political-economic forces, as analyzed through the Political Economy of Media and Communications (PEMC) framework.

    Read more »
  • A grid of eight thumbnail images showcasing various individuals, scenes, and objects, each accompanied by captions such as "Smarter," "Edward," "AI," and "Game Changer," along with view counts and timestamps.

    Silicon Valley’s Human Shields
    Gerald Sim / Florida Atlantic University

    Gerald Sim critiques Big Tech’s lobbying strategies against antitrust legislation, arguing that companies use technoliberal narratives, racialized imagery, and nationalist rhetoric, such as the “China Argument,” to manipulate public opinion, obscure exploitative labor practices, and maintain dominance.

    Read more »
  • Fair Payment in the Film and Television Industries
    Roderik Smits / Erasmus University Rotterdam

    Dr. Roderik Smits explores various factors affecting what constitutes “fair pay” in the film and television industries.

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  • Welcome to Wrexham and Representations of Management in Football (Soccer) as a Product of the “Media Sports Cultural Complex”
    Dr. Andrew Stubbs-Lacy / University of Staffordshire

    Andrew Stubbs-Lacy explores the representation and construction of management in football with a focus on Welcome to Wrexham.

    Read more »

Volume 31, Issue 6

Camera Looks, Laugh Tracks, and TV Comedy
Michael Z. Newman / University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

April 23, 2025 Michael Z. Newman / University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Advertising, AI, and the Political Economy of Media and Communications
Matthew Crain / Miami University

April 23, 2025 Matthew Crain / Miami University
A grid of eight thumbnail images showcasing various individuals, scenes, and objects, each accompanied by captions such as "Smarter," "Edward," "AI," and "Game Changer," along with view counts and timestamps.

Silicon Valley’s Human Shields
Gerald Sim / Florida Atlantic University

April 23, 2025 Gerald Sim / Florida Atlantic University

Fair Payment in the Film and Television Industries
Roderik Smits / Erasmus University Rotterdam

April 23, 2025 Roderik Smits / Erasmus University Rotterdam

Welcome to Wrexham and Representations of Management in Football (Soccer) as a Product of the “Media Sports Cultural Complex”
Dr. Andrew Stubbs-Lacy / University of Staffordshire

April 23, 2025 Andrew Stubbs-Lacy / Staffordshire University

*Most Recent Issues*

31.05

Work Songs: Tiny Desk Concerts Reimagines Music Video and Public Radio
Eric Harvey / Grand Valley State University

March 26, 2025 Eric Harvey / Grand Valley State University

Streaming Power: How Netflix and Amazon are Reshaping Global Geopolitics
Swapnil Rai / University of Michigan

March 26, 2025 Swapnil Rai / University of Michigan

31.04

The Return of Global Sisterhood? The Transnational Journey of the 4B Movement on TikTok
Jinsook Kim / Emory University

February 19, 2025 Jinsook Kim / Emory University
Dream re-stages the Pixar logo

“What Sort of Dreams Should We Be Making?”: Pixar Creative Culture and the Crisis of Disney+
Ben Rogerson / Texas Tech University

February 19, 2025 Ben Rogerson / Texas Tech University

Just Pretend: Elvis Girlies, Social Media and Embodied Play
Eleanor Patterson / Auburn University

February 19, 2025 Eleanor Patterson / Auburn University

Across-the-Line: The Invisible Labor and Cultural Mechanics of Hollywood’s Entry-Level Workforce
Kiah Bennett / Muhlenberg College

February 19, 2025 Kiah Bennett / Muhlenberg College

Over*Flow

Over*Flow: Effort is Overrated: The Dissonance of AI Integrations with the 2024 Olympic Games
Kathryn Hartzell / University of Texas at Austin

January 29, 2025 Kathryn Hartzell / University of Texas at Austin

Kathryn Hartzell examines the integration of Artificial Intelligence into the 2024 Summer Olympics and how this endeavor clashes with values surrounding sports, performance, and equality.

Over*Flow, Martha Stewart as Influencer

Over*Flow: Martha Stewart’s Star Persona and the 21st-Century Influencer
Emma Ginsberg / Georgetown University

February 14, 2024 Emma Ginsberg / Georgetown University
Over*Flow: Trans Joy and Body Horror

Over*Flow: Trans Joy and Body Horror in Emerging Trans Cinema
Paige Macintosh / Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

January 24, 2024 Paige Macintosh / Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington
Over*Flow: Birth is Violent

Over*Flow: “Birth is Violent”: Television’s Response to Post-Roe Reproductive Politics
Reut Odinak / Boston University

December 20, 2023 Reut Odinak / Boston University
Flow is a critical forum on media and culture published by the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. Flow’s mission is to provide a space where scholars and the public can discuss media histories, media studies, and the changing landscape of contemporary media.

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Over*Flow: Responses to Breaking TV & Media News

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Over*Flow: “Effort is Overrated: The Dissonance of AI Integrations with the 2024 Olympics”
Kathryn Hartzell / University of Texas at Austin

Martha Stewart holding a credit card
Over*Flow: “Martha Stewart’s Star Persona and the 21st-Century Influencer”
Emma Ginsberg / Georgetown University

@FlowTV Conversations…

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A critical forum on media and culture brought to you by the graduate students of @UTRTF.

FlowTV
flowtv FLOW @flowtv ·
30 Jan

New Over*Flow! Kathryn Hartzell examines AI Olympic Ads from Summer '24, identifying a dissonance in the ads' narratives that highlight tensions around AI's relationship to creativity, concerns over increased precarity in media industries & more. Read at http://tinyurl.com/mr2rzzeh

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flowtv FLOW @flowtv ·
28 Dec

Michael Z. Newman explores the convergence of TV & TikTok, arguing that the platform embodies television’s fragmentary logic & attention-driven economy, transforming late night shows like After Midnight into viral, internet-native content.

Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/2mnwk4my

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flowtv FLOW @flowtv ·
26 Dec

Andrew Stubbs-Lacy's column examines Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer on AppleTV+, exploring how its production and promotion as a “cinematic” auteur-driven series reflect broader industry strategies. Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/yc6cckya

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flowtv FLOW @flowtv ·
23 Dec

Roderik Smits explores how AI is shaping the landscape of film programming and distribution.

Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/2nm2mp36

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